Researchers say detecting serpents is trait determined by evolution

A group of scientists at the University of California-Davis wanted to test why people find the legless lizards so creepy, even if they’ve never seen one in person. Detecting snakes, they thought, was a trait hard wired by evolution. (Via BBC)

To test their theory, they implanted microelectrodes in the brains of two monkeys raised on a farm. The monkeys were shown images of snakes, others monkeys and various shapes.